Lamp wrapper



June 3o, 1959 H AMATEL 2,892,581

' LAMP WRAPPER.

Filed July l, 1957 F9-Vf@ 17mm/Ex 1 vention to provide a co 'i'. c..

United States Fatent LAMP WRAPPER Harold Amatel, Verona, NJ., assignor to Westinghouse Electric Corporation, East Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application July 1, 1957, Serial No. 669,298

4 Claims. (Cl. 229-90) This invention relates to containers for fragile articles and, more particularly, vto a wrapper for encapsulating and unitizing a plurality of electric lamps having bulbous or pear-shaped envelopes.

It is well known in the packaging art to provide a container adapted to hold a plurality of bulbous-shaped fragile articles in such relation that they are not only protectively encased but unitized to present a more saleable and conveniently-handled package. This manner of packing is especially suited for pear-shaped articles such as electric lamps which are shipped in large numbers and are inherently susceptible to breakage or damage under vibration or shock conditions. In order to minimize the amount of packing material required open-end sleeves or wrappers rather than totally-enclosed containers are employed. The sleeves or wrappers are so partitioned and contoured as to provide a plurality of compartments each adapted to snugly accommodate a lamp thereby constituting, when loaded, a multi-lamp package. A predetermined number of such packages are then stacked, either separately or in unitized aggregates, in staggered relation in an outer shipping container which is then sealed to complete the packing of the lamps. While the number of lamps per wrapper will vary depending upon the type of lamp involved and marketing procedure adopted, the trend in general lighting incandescent lamps of the type employed in the home has been toward a two-lamp pack.

Heretofore it has been the common practice to compartmentalize such so-called two-lamp wrappers in such a fashion that the lamps when inserted are nested or disposed in interlocking relation thereby to reduce the wrapper dimensions and effect a further economy through the reduction of shipping space and the amount of packing material required. To this end the lamps were disposed d either in parallel base-to-bulb interlocking relation within the wrapper as illustrated in Fig. 5 and exempliied by U.S. Patent No. 2,097,757 to F. H. Dieke, or longitudinally nested in base-to-bulb alignment as shown in U.S.

Patent Nos. 2,611,531 and 2,690,254 to G. A. Conkle and R. T. White, respectively.

In addition, the prior art wrappers were so designed that only a single thickness of packaging material was provided between the lamps. This, in conjunction with the fact that the lamps were compacted one against the other by virtue of their nested juxtaposition, decreased the cushioning effect of the wrapper or its ability to absorb without lamp breakage compressive forces in a direction transverse to the axis of the lamps and the partitioning element to such a` degree that a critical area of breakage -within the package resulted. As a direct consequence of .this deficiency in the protective matrix afforded by the prior art wrappers, the percent breakage during shipping has increased and in extreme cases the losses thus incurred completely nullied and even exceeded the saving 4originally realized from -the conservation of space and packing material effected by condensing the lamps, so

to speak, into as small a space as possible.

It is accordingly the general object of the present intainer for fragile articles which Patented June 30, 19159 is devoid of such critical areas and will afford maximum protection against physical shock regardless of the direction in which it is applied.

A more specific object of the invention is to provide a two-lamp wrapper for electric lamps capable of preventing breakage from transversely-applied compressive forces of the character, normally encountered during handling and shipment.

Another object of the invention is to provide a twolamp wrapper which can be economically and conveniently fabricated from a single piece of material and afford a degree of protection greatly exceeding that capable of being derived from the material alone.

The foregoing and other objects which will become obvious to those skilled in the art as the description proceeds are achieved according to the present invention by folding a performed blank of packaging material and aixing parts thereof together in such a manner that a rectangular casing is provided which is longitudinally divided by a two-ply partitioning element into a pair of similar-shaped compartments adapted to snugly accommodate the pear-shaped articles in staggered side-by-side relation without even the slightest degree of nesting or interlock therebetween.

A better understanding of the invention may be obtained by referring to the accompanying drawing wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a two-lamp package incorporating the preferred wrapper construction of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is an end View in elevation of the wrapper illustrated in Fig. l showing the manner in which it collapses ilat for bulk shipment;

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view along the line III-III of Fig. l, in the direction of the arrows, show ing the spatial relation between the lamps and the upstanding side and partitioning panels according to the invention;

Fig. 4 is a view corresponding to Fig. 3 but illustrates an alternative embodiment of theinvention;

Fig. 5 is a view corresponding to Figs. 3 and 4 but shows the nesting or interlocking arrangement employed in the prior art wrappers;

Fig. 6 is a plan view on a reducedscale of the blank from which the wrapper illustrated in Figs. l, 2 and 3 is formed showing the score lines therein along which the blank is folded during and after assembly;

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the alternate wrapper construction illustrated in Fig. 4, the lamps being removed to afford a better view of the interior;

Fig. S is a plan view on a reduced scale of the blank used in fabricating the wrapper illustrated in Figs. 4 and 7 showing the score lines and panel configuration and arrangement employed in accordance with this embodiment of the invention.

While the invention may be employed to protectively encase any delicate article of bulbous conguration, it is especially adapted for use in packaging incandescent electric lamps of the type commonly employed in the home and hence has been so illustrated and will be so described.

Referring now to the drawing, in Fig. 1 there is show-n a wrapper 10 comprising an open-end tubular casing of generally rectangular cross-section which is divided according to the preferred form of the invention into a pair of compartments of approximately square cross-section by a longitudinal two-ply partition formed from the end portions of the casing in the manner hereinafter described. The wrapper 10 is fabricated from a rectangular blank 34 (Fig. 6) of suitable packaging material such as single-face corrugated paper. The blank 34 is so cut that the corrugations extend longitudinally thereof and are partially cut or indented by seven spaced substantially parallel score lines 13, 1S, 17, 19, 21, 23 and 25 which divide the blank 34 into a pair of end panels 12 and 24, a .connecting strip 26 which adjoins the end panel 24 and constitutes a lateral extension thereof, a central panel 18, and four intermediate .panels 14, d6, 2t) and 22, :the latter .eachiheing approximately half the width of the central panel 18 and disposed in pairs on opposite `sides thereof :to connect it wit-h `the `end panels l2 and 24. The length of the aforesaid pa-nels and str-ip are such `that the 'length l,of the inished wrapper il@ is slightly greater than the length Lot .the articles to Abe contained, as shown in Figs. l and 3. The smooth or facing-sheet side of the end panel l2 and conmeeting strip 17.6 may be coated with a suitable adhesive as here illustrated in order to facilitate the -fabrication of the wrapper l@ in the lmanner hereinafter described.

The wrapper -is fabricated by `gluing or otherwise fastening 4the connecting strip 26 along the center ilineof the central panel i8 and thereafter tfolding `the blank 34 along *the laforementioned yscore lines and arranging ythe panels in the manner illustrated yin Fig. lto lform a tubular sleeve or casing of generally rectangular cross-section, the corrugated surface of the panels being Ainwardly .disposed as shown. The end panels i2 and 24 are Yfastened intaccto-face relation to thus vform a two-ply partition which bisects the casing into two compartments of approximately equal volume and maintains the blank 34 in its tubular form. The compartments -thus provided are preferably of square cross-section and proportioned so that they are slightly smaller in breadth than the maximum diameterof the bulbous articles to be contained, in this instance the pear-shaped envelopes of the lamps 2S and 3l), but slightly longer than said articles so that a pair of such articles may be inserted into the wrapper l@ side-by-side relation and frictionally retained therein.

As shown in Fig. l, the lamps 2S and 30 are inserted into the compartments in .oppositely-disposed .relation so that .when in loaded position they will be retained within the package in staggered or bulb-to-base alignment. It should be noted that the end panel 12is of such width that when overlappingly secured to the main partitioning end panel 24 it extends just `beyond the midpoint thereof thereby insuring that a double thickness of thepackaging material separates ythe lamps ZS and 301 at all times. Thus, Vmaximum padding in a direction transverseto the longitudinal axes of the lamps is aiorded with aminimumof material.

AAslshown in Fig. 3, the lamps 2S and 30 whenintheir `loaded position within the wrapper it? are encapsulated in parallel base-to-bulb or staggered relation without the .slightest degree of nesting or interlock therebetween. This arrangement in conjunction with the two-ply partitioning element formed by the overlapped endipanels 12 and 24 provdesmaximurn cushioning action in ardirectiorn transverse to the partition and the longitudinal axes. of the lamps 28 and 3l). The width of the iinishedlfpackagewould be equivalent tothe distance"a-(Fig. 3.) or slightlyfmore than twice the maximum diameter of thelampenvelopes. -When packed in the -outer shipping container .the side panels .of adjacentlwrappers will be disposed-.in abntt-ing rel-ation .so-that alll the lamps with ther-.exception of :those .immediately adjacent the walls of the shipping container wil-l be separated by at least two tlneknessesof-thepackaging material.

.Asshown in Fig. 2, the panels'lZ, 1'4, 16, 18, 20, 422, 24 .andthe connecting strip 26 are foldable along the score lines Atherebetween and are so proportioned that they will lie dat one upon the other in accordion-like fashion thereby permitting the wrapper lil to be collapsed ,and folded :dat

ifor convenient shipment to the user.

Where the conservation of material and space are ,of

`paramount importanceand overshadow the capabilityof the wrapper to be folded perfectly flat forrbplk shipment from .the supplier to the usen then the constructionfshown inFigsA, 7 and 8 .would be` more suitable. this mode Qfconstruction the blank 3,6 (Fig. 8) is so cut that the outermost of the intermediate panels 14a andZZa are loppositely-tapered and the outer adjoining score lines 13g and 23a angularly displaced in such a manner that the gluecoated end panel 12a and its opposite member 24a together with its adjoining glue-coated connecting strip 26a are olfset to opposite sides of the main body portion of the blank 36 constituted by the remaining panels. Hence, when the blank 36 is folded and assembled in the manner similar to that described in .connection with the preferred embodiment shown in Figs. l, 2, 3 and Y6, the connecting strip 26a in the instant case being obliquely fastened .to a mid-portion of the central panel 1.8.41, a Wrapper lll@ is provided which is so partitioned tha-t when distended for loading two oppositely-taper-ing compartments lof generally truncated-pyramidal conliguration are formed (Fig. 7)` As illustrated in Fig. 4, by angularly displacing the partition formed by the overlapped end panels 12a and 24a, the lamps 28a and 30a are brought closer together by a distance equivalent `to twice the thickness .of the packaging ymaterial .without Asubtracting in the least from the protective padding aorded by the partition andonly slightly decreasing the space between lamps available for cushioning so that `the width of the wrapper lila maybe reduced to the dimension b. yWhile .the configuration and orientationofthe panels according to this form Kof the invention prevent the wrapper lila .from .being folded perfectly iiat, it can nevertheless be collapsed to a small fraction of its distended height for conveniencein shipping.

In order to contrast the wrapper construction .of `this invention with the prior'art, there is shown in Fig. 5 .a top sectional -view of a prior art wrapper ltlb 4wherein .by means of a suitably-shaped or flexible partitioning ap 32 the lamps 2S!) and Stlb when in loaded position-are-nested or interlocked to as great a degree as possible without actually touching thereby reducing the width of the wrapper to the dimension c and effecting a proportionate decrease in the amount of packaging material and storage or shipping space. y'ln addition to this condensation 'of the lamps into as small a space as possible in the interest of economy, only a single thickness of the packaging material was heretofore utilized `in forming the partitioning flap 32 so that upon the applicationpof a compressive force in a direction transverse to the partitioning'flap 32 and the longitudinal axes of the lamps, the latterwould be forced one against the other in abutting relation with only a single ply of material separating them thuscreating a critical area in the wrapper and greatly increasing A.the incidence of breakage from such forces. As illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4, while the wrappers according to the invention are increased slightly in width, all of the increase is converted into additional protection in theheretofore Vcritical area by doubling the thickness ofthe partitioning membergand increasing as much as possible thedistance between the lamps so that a degree of protective padding Kand cushioning manyftimes greater than thatheretofoge provided is achieved. lActual drop tests wherein shipping containers loaded with lamps packaged in prior art wrappers `and those fabricated in accordance withpthe preferred .embodiment of the present invention were successively dropped from a heightof three'feet in such a manner that they landed on their bottom, top and two adjacent sides, indicate that the additionalpadding .and cushioning -the lateral dimension of the wrapper ya criticaly breakage areawithin the package is eliminated thenincid'et of breakage during Vshipment greatly reduced.

Whilejonepreferred and lz ilternative.en1l20LliII1lnt of the Ainvention `has been illustrated `and describe-51 according to the patent statutes, it is to be particularly understood that the invention is not limited thereto or thereby inasmuch as further modifications and variations may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim:

l. A Wrapper for a pair of bulbous shaped articles formed from a unitary blank of single-face corrugated paper cut, scored, folded and fastened together to provide a collapsible sleeve slightly longer than said articles and distendable when open to a longitudinallypartitioned tubular casing having a central panel, a plurality and equal number of similarly shaped intermediate panels laterally-extending from opposite sides of said central panel, end panels adjoining and laterally-extending from the outermost of said intermediate panels, and a connecting element extending laterally from one of said end panels, the Width of the other of said end panels being slightly greater than half the width of said one end panel, said end panels being fastened together in face-to-face relation to constitute a longitudinal partition which is of two-ply construcion for over half its width and is secured to a mid-portion of said central panel by said connecting element to therby form and divide said tubular casing into similar-shaped compartments proportioned to snugly receive and retain said articles in side-by-side relation with substantially no interlock, the corrugated surfaces of said panels being inwardly disposed and defining said compartments.

2. A wrapper for a pair of fragile articles of pearshaped configuration such as electric lamps and the like comprising an open-end tubular casing of a length slightly greater than that of said articles divided by a longitudinal partition into two compartments each proportioned to snugly receive and retain one of said articles; said casing being fabricated from a blank of single-face corrugated material divided by a plurality of spaced transverse score lines into a pair of end panels, a connecting strip adjoining one of said end panels and forming a lateral extension thereof, a central panel and a plurality of intermediate panels folda-ble along said score lines; said blank being cut so that the currugations of said material extend longitudinally of said fblank; the width of the end panel adjoined to said connecting strip being less than twice the width of the other of said end panels; said end panels being joined together in face-to-face relation to constitute said parrtition and dispose the other of said panels to form said tubular casing; said connecting strip being secured to said central panel to thereby effect the partitioning of said casing and retain said blank in tubular formation, said partition by virtue of the respective widths of said end panels being of double thickness for over half its width; the disposition of said panels and connecting strip being such that when said casing is collapsed they lie snbstatially flat one upon the other and when said casing is distended they define said compartments and have their corrugated surfaces disposed inwardly, whereby said articles when oppositely inserted into said compartments are retained in side-by-side relation therein without interlock.

3. A wrapper for a pair of electric lamps having pearshaped envelopes of the same size comprising an openend tubular casing of rectangular cross-section and a length slightly greater than that of said lamps bisected by a longitudinal partition into two compartments of approximately square cross-section and equal volume each proportioned to snugly receive and retain one of said lamps; said casing comprising a rectangular blank of single-face corrugated material divided by means of spaced substantially parallel score lines into a pair of end panels, a connecting strip adjoining one of said end panels and constituting a lateral extension thereof, and a central panel connected to each of said end panels by a pair of intermediate panels; one of said end panels and said intermediate panels each being approximately half the width of said central panel, and the other of said end panels being slightly greater than half the width of said one end panel; said panels and connecting strip being folded along said score lines to form said casing; the connecting strip being fastened to the said central panel along the center line thereof and the end panel adjoining said connecting strip being secured in face-to-face relation with the other of said end panels to thereby constitute said partition and maintain said blank in tubular formation; said partition by virtue of the respective widths of said end panels being of double thickness for over half its width; said panels and connecting strip when said casing is collapsed being disposed to lie dat one upon the other and when said casing is distended to dene said compartments and have their corrugated surfaces disposed inwardly; whereby said lamps when oppositely inserted into said compartments are retained in side-by-side relation therein without interlock and are separated by two thicknesses of corrugtaed material.

4. A wrapper for a pair of electric lamps having pear-shaped envelopes comprising an open-end tulbular casing of rectangular cross-section obliquely divided by a longitudinal two-ply partition into two oppositelytapering compartments of generally tnuncated-pyramidal configuration proportioned to snugly receive and retain said lamps in oppositely-disposed side-by-side relation; said casing comprising a blank of single face corrugated material divided by means of spaced transverse score lines into a pair of end panels, a connecting strip laterally extending from one of said end panels, and a central panel `connected to each of said end panels by a pair of intermediate panels the outermost ones of which are oppositely tapered; said end panels and connecting strip being offset and oppositely displaced from the main body portion of said blank constituted by the remainder of said panels and together with said panels being folded along said score lines to form said casing; said connecting strip being obliquely fastened to a mid-portion of the said central panel and the end panel adjoining said connecting strip being secured in face-toface relation with the other of said end panels to there- Iby constitute said two-ply partition and maintain said blank in the form of said casing; said panels and said connecting strip when said casing is distended defining said compartments and having their corrugated surfaces disposed inwardly; whereby said lamps when oppositely-inserted into said compartments are retained in sideby-side relation therein without interlock.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,126,185 Droz Jan. 26, 1915 

